Thinking About Moving To the EU?

Another question from AllExpert. This comes from someone wondering what sort of preparations need to be made when considering moving to the EU.

Name: K.

Subject: Moving from US to Europe with a medium sz dog

Question: Hello, I am considering moving from the US to one of the following countries, Portugal, Spain or Denmark depending on my best job offer. I am most concerned for my dog. She has separation anxiety. I have been told that there may be a six month quarantine over there.. Is this true??

Answer: Hello K.,

Thanks for your email. There is no six-month quarantine going from the US into the EU if you prepare the documents correctly ahead of time. The only place you would run into trouble would be if you wanted to move to the UK, which is rabies-free and has a six-month quarantine.

If you are considering moving, here are the steps I would recommend you take now to avoid delays if you do decide you want to relocate your pooch:

1. Take your dog to the vet and consult with him regarding your dog's ability to travel internationally on a long flight (over eight hours). Keep in mind that if your dog is over 8 years old, he is considered "at risk" for flying and a kidney & liver screening is highly recommended.

2. If you and your vet decide your dog will be healthy enough to make the trip, your dog will first need a microchip. Make sure it is an "ISO Compatible" microchip, as the EU has different scanners than the US. These are not too hard to obtain -- if your vet does not have them, he can either order them or you can call around and find a vet who does.

3. Make sure your dog is up to date on all of her vaccinations as they will need to be older than 30 days at the time of departure, but less than a year. Most countries do not recognize the 3 year rabies & DHLPP vaccines for more than a year, so if your dog has 3 year vaccines, make sure they are still less than a year old.

These are the preliminary steps for getting your dog ready for a relocation if you are still not sure if you will be moving. The next step would be to find a pet relocation company like PetRelocation.com or begin organizing your dog's move on your own.